Narrative:

Aircraft X was on an engineering development test flight in the W108/386 warning areas primarily using the area known as the test track. The flight was conducted in daylight with visual meteorological conditions with a chase aircraft. At the time of the incident (approximately XX05 local) I was in a climb to position the aircraft to conduct the next test point. I had been flying northeast just west of the coastal ADIZ and made a left turn to the west then reversed the turn to the right, through north, in a continuous turn to a southwesterly heading (basically a 90-270 degree reversal). I had chosen this course with due respect for the area boundaries. In the course of the right turn I received traffic call from echo control, visually located the traffic and continued the turn. I estimated the traffic distance at the closest point of approach to be greater than 1 NM. My initial visual contact with the traffic was near co-altitude though my flight path took aircraft X above the traffic aircraft. At that point of closest approach I estimate that there was 500 ft of vertical separation between the aircraft. During this time I rechked my position relative to the area boundaries and verified that I was still within the confines of the test track airspace. To the accuracy of my displayed position, I am convinced that aircraft X was always inside the boundary of the test track with approximately a 1.5 NM margin. A problem may exist in this area due to: 1) airliners being vectored or navigating too close to this special use airspace (possibly on the boundary or within the special use airspace), or 2) TCASII equipped IFR aircraft operating close enough to legitimately operated non-IFR controled aircraft to have the TCASII equipment activated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING A MIL TEST FLT A F18 HORNET, OBSERVED AN ACR JUST INSIDE THE WARNING AREA IN WHICH HE WAS CONDUCTING TEST AT A HIGH ALT. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN OR NECESSARY SINCE A TA HAD BEEN ISSUED AND THE RPTR HAD SIGHTED THE OTHER ACFT DURING HIS TURNING MANEUVER.

Narrative: ACFT X WAS ON AN ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT TEST FLT IN THE W108/386 WARNING AREAS PRIMARILY USING THE AREA KNOWN AS THE TEST TRACK. THE FLT WAS CONDUCTED IN DAYLIGHT WITH VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITH A CHASE ACFT. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT (APPROX XX05 LCL) I WAS IN A CLB TO POS THE ACFT TO CONDUCT THE NEXT TEST POINT. I HAD BEEN FLYING NE JUST W OF THE COASTAL ADIZ AND MADE A L TURN TO THE W THEN REVERSED THE TURN TO THE R, THROUGH N, IN A CONTINUOUS TURN TO A SOUTHWESTERLY HEADING (BASICALLY A 90-270 DEG REVERSAL). I HAD CHOSEN THIS COURSE WITH DUE RESPECT FOR THE AREA BOUNDARIES. IN THE COURSE OF THE R TURN I RECEIVED TFC CALL FROM ECHO CTL, VISUALLY LOCATED THE TFC AND CONTINUED THE TURN. I ESTIMATED THE TFC DISTANCE AT THE CLOSEST POINT OF APCH TO BE GREATER THAN 1 NM. MY INITIAL VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TFC WAS NEAR CO-ALT THOUGH MY FLT PATH TOOK ACFT X ABOVE THE TFC ACFT. AT THAT POINT OF CLOSEST APCH I ESTIMATE THAT THERE WAS 500 FT OF VERT SEPARATION BTWN THE ACFT. DURING THIS TIME I RECHKED MY POS RELATIVE TO THE AREA BOUNDARIES AND VERIFIED THAT I WAS STILL WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE TEST TRACK AIRSPACE. TO THE ACCURACY OF MY DISPLAYED POS, I AM CONVINCED THAT ACFT X WAS ALWAYS INSIDE THE BOUNDARY OF THE TEST TRACK WITH APPROX A 1.5 NM MARGIN. A PROB MAY EXIST IN THIS AREA DUE TO: 1) AIRLINERS BEING VECTORED OR NAVING TOO CLOSE TO THIS SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE (POSSIBLY ON THE BOUNDARY OR WITHIN THE SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE), OR 2) TCASII EQUIPPED IFR ACFT OPERATING CLOSE ENOUGH TO LEGITIMATELY OPERATED NON-IFR CTLED ACFT TO HAVE THE TCASII EQUIP ACTIVATED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.